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Battle of Alfambra
| combatant2 = | commander1 = General Juan Hernández SaraviaThomas, Hugh. The Spanish Civil War. Penguin Books. 2001. London. p.772 | commander2 = Rafael García Valiño Colonel Juan Yague General Antonio Aranda Colonel Jose Monasterio General Juan Vigon | strength1 = fewer than 50,000http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batalla_de_Alfambra 120 fightersThomas, Hugh. The Spanish Civil War. Penguin Books. 2001. London. p.773 80 bombersThomas, Hugh. The Spanish Civil War. Penguin Books. 2001. London. p.773 | strength2 = 100,000 500 gunsBeevor, Antony. The Battle for Spain. The Spanish Civil War, 1936-1939. Penguin Books. 2006. London. p.321 150 fightersThomas, Hugh. The Spanish Civil War. Penguin Books. 2001. London. p.773 100 bombersThomas, Hugh. The Spanish Civil War. Penguin Books. 2001. London. p.773 | casualties1 = 20,000Beevor, Antony. The Battle for Spain. The Spanish Civil War. Penguin Books. London. 2006. p.321-22,000 | casualties2 = ? }} The Battle of Alfambra took place near Alfambra between 5 and the 8 February 1938, during the Spanish Civil War. This battle was a part of the Battle of Teruel. After, the conquest of Teruel by the Repubublican army, the Nationalists started a counteroffensive in order to reocuppy Teruel. On 5 February a huge nationalist force broke the republican lines in the north of the Teruel towards the Alfambra river, taking 7,000 republican prisoners and threatening the Republican forces in Teruel. Background. After the conquest of Teruel by the Republican army on 7 January, the Nationalists started an offensive in order to conquest the high ground around Teruel on 17 January and occupied the heights of La Muela, nevertheless the Republican troops led by Hernandez Saravia and backed by the International Brigades,Beevor, Antony. The Battle for Spain. The Spanish Civil War, 1936-1939. Penguin Books. 2006. London. p.321 stopped the Nationalist offensive on 27 January.Thomas, Hugh. The Spanish Civil War. Penguin Books. 2001. London. p.772 Then, the Nationalists concentrated an army of 100,000 men and 500 guns in the Sierra de Palomera in the north of Teruel, led by the general Juan Vigon, with three Army Corps (Aranda’s Galicia corps, Yague’s Morocco corps and the Garcia Valiño’s Navarre Corp), the Italian CTV and Monasterio’s cavalry division.Beevor, Antony. The Battle for Spain. The Spanish Civil War, 1936-1939. Penguin Books. 2006. London. p.321 On the other hand, the republican defenses in this part of the front were weak, since most of the republican troops were concentrated in the city of TeruelThomas, Hugh. The Spanish Civil War. Penguin Books. 2001. London. p.772 and the republican troops in this part of the front had never seen action.Beevor, Antony. The Battle for Spain. The Spanish Civil War, 1936-1939. Penguin Books. 2006. London. p.321 The Republican army had one Army corps, the 13th army corps here.http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batalla_de_Alfambra Battle of Alfambra. On 5 February, launched a major offensive towards the Alfambra river, along a front of 30 kilometres. The attack started with a massive cavalry charge of the Monasterio’s division, the last great mounted charge in the western Europe.Thomas, Hugh. The Spanish Civil War. Penguin Books. 2001. London. p.772 The three nationalists army corps, broke the Republican lines and advanced swiftly towards the Alfambra river. The Republican forces were surrounded by the nationalists or fled in disorder.Thomas, Hugh. The Spanish Civil War. Penguin Books. 2001. London. p.772 By the 7 February the Nationalists had conquered and huge amounts of material (munitions, weapons and ambulances),Thomas, Hugh. The Spanish Civil War. Penguin Books. 2001. London. p.772 and aircraft (twelve on 7 February alone).Beevor, Antony. The Battle for Spain. The Spanish Civil War, 1936-1939. Penguin Books. 2006. London. p.322 The Republicans had suffered 20,000Beevor, Antony. The Battle for Spain. The Spanish Civil War, 1936-1939. Penguin Books. 2006. London. p.321-22,000 casualties, among them 7,000 prisoners.Thomas, Hugh. The Spanish Civil War. Penguin Books. 2001. London. p.772 Aftermath By the 20 February the republican communications to Valencia from Teruel were threatened by the Nationalists and Hernandez Saravia gave orders for withdrawal from the city,Thomas, Hugh. The Spanish Civil War. Penguin Books. 2001. London. p.772 although the Republicans managed to form a defense line along the right bank of the Alfambra on 25 February.Beevor, Antony. The Battle for Spain. The Spanish Civil War, 1936-1939. Penguin Books. 2006. London. p.322 Bibliography *Beevor, Antony. The Battle for Spain. The Spanish civil war, 1936-1939. Penguin Books. 2006. London. ISBN 978-0-14-303765-1. *Thomas, Hugh. The Spanish Civil War. Penguin Books. 2001. London. ISBN 978-0-14-101161-5 References Category:Battles of the Spanish Civil War Category:1938 in Spain Category:Conflicts in 1938 Category:Province of Teruel